Archive of ‘Planning Tips’ category

Get engaged over the holidays and can’t wait to get into Vegas wedding planning? Save the dates are a fun way to help your guests get excited about travelling for your wedding. There are plenty of new designs for 2016, here are some of my favorite picks. Many are available in different colors or with customizable photos, so be sure to have fun and design a few!

CASINO-THEMED

The easy route is to go with a casino theme for your save the dates, of course. From retro signage to bold red and black coasters, here are some great options to consider.

Oh man, what’s going on? Even the LVW Monday Mailbag is back! Since it’s been a while since the last instalment, a refresher: this is where you get to hear my thoughts and opinions on Vegas wedding planning questions.

Today, I answer a question about intimate, stylish but budget-friendly elopement spots that are light on the cheese factor.

Hi Kelly,

I’ve been to your website many times and loved it. I’m getting married soon in Las Vegas, at a wedding hosting 14 guests.

Do you know any chapels who would allow outside photography or charge a fee to allow personal camera? The wedding chapels of Las Vegas is the only one I found that will allow the use of personal camera. But I’m confused if the chapel will consider the photographer I hired will be considered his camera as personal camera. The most important part of this wedding for me other than the ceremony is the wedding pictures. But I don’t like the photos of many of the photographers chapels make you use.

I appreciate suggestions and advice.

Thanks,

E

Hi E,

Most venues consider photographers with pro camera equipment (even friends with large cameras) to be professional, so there is no sneaky way around that.

Many hotel chapels and standalone chapels will require you to use their photographers, so I would recommend looking at Caesars Entertainment chapels: Paris Las Vegas, Caesars Palace, LINQ, Flamingo Las Vegas and so on. Almost all of them will let you pay a fee to bring your own photographers.

Also Tropicana will let you bring your own photographer. Off Strip, many golf clubs and banquet venues will allow you to use your own photographer, as well. This is the most important thing to you, so I would start looking at those properties first.

Good luck,

Kelly

Have a Vegas wedding planning question? Feel free to send it to me at kelly AT littlevegaswedding DOT com with the subject line: “LVW Mailbag” or leave a comment on one of the posts. I may answer it in a future mailbag feature. Questions may be edited for length, clarity and privacy.

If you want more immediate help, I encourage you to join the LVW Wedding Planning Facebook group. This private group is full of people planning their weddings just like you as well as some vendors. Both are great for knowledge and advice and are probably much more in the know than me! You can also read past mailbag questions here, a good place to start because I get a lot of similar questions.

Today in the LVW Monday Mailbag, a couple wants to know where to find macarons easily and some suggestions for candy/dessert bars.

Aloha Kelly,

We are getting married soon in Vegas and we’re hoping to have our reception in our suite. I was hoping you might have some tips on creating a candy/popcorn bar for the event? Also the bakery I might order the cake from doesn’t do macarons and my fiancé loves them so I was hoping to incorporate them in as well. Also a gift for our guests would be nice!

Mahlao!

A.

Hi A,

There are a few places on Strip you can get macarons from: Bouchon Bakery at Venetian and Payard at Caesars Palace come to mind. Macarons are pretty popular these days and are fairly easy to find. Off-Strip bakeries would also almost certainly deliver.

There are companies that will set up a popcorn or candy bar for you and honestly, if you are coming in from out of town, I would recommend it as they will take care of containers, signage and flavours.

Have a Vegas wedding planning question? Feel free to send it to me at kelly AT littlevegaswedding DOT com with the subject line: “LVW Mailbag” or leave a comment on one of the posts. I may answer it in a future mailbag feature. Questions may be edited for length, clarity and privacy.

If you want more immediate help, I encourage you to join the LVW Wedding Planning Facebook group. This private group is full of people planning their weddings just like you as well as some vendors. Both are great for knowledge and advice and are probably much more in the know than me! You can also read past mailbag questions here, a good place to start because I get a lot of similar questions.

Time for another LVW Monday Mailbag where you get to hear my thoughts and opinions on Vegas wedding planning questions.

Today, I answer a question about intimate, stylish but budget-friendly elopement spots that are light on the cheese factor.

Good Evening Kelly!

First of all, let me just say that your website is absolutely stunning! You have such a well-organized and adorable collection of information!

I am hoping to get your input. I’m getting married near the end of March and my fiance and I are looking to get married in a romantic, non-cheesy venue just the two of us. We prefer to have it “feel” intimate and secluded (not as if there should be 50-200 chairs that are missing).

Any venue from $500 (preferred) to $1,000 (considered) would be considered. Preferably tropical, but we would consider a garden setting (must feel organic and natural/outdoor).

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration. We truly appreciate your response!

From, S

Hi S,

My first thought is to hire a minister or officiant and have them meet you at the gardens at Springs Preserve or at Symphony Park at The Smith Center, so you don’t have to pay a venue fee.

The Springs has a more desert-y feel, but the The Smith Center has palm trees so is more tropical and also has a nice green space, with lots of spots for great photos. They are both modern, unique and non-cheesy but still intimate and romantic. As a bonus, neither has chairs that would stick out as noticeably empty.

If you look through the elopements category on the site, you’ll find all sorts of options of couples featured who have done what you are looking for. More than I could ever name here! :)

Have a Vegas wedding planning question? Feel free to send it to me at kelly AT littlevegaswedding DOT com with the subject line: “LVW Mailbag” or leave a comment on one of the posts. I may answer it in a future mailbag feature. Questions may be edited for length and privacy.

If you want more immediate help, I encourage you to join the LVW Wedding Planning Facebook group. This private group is full of people planning their weddings just like you as well as some vendors. Both are great for knowledge and advice and are probably much more in the know than me! You can also read past mailbag questions here.

Despite running this site (something I do as a hobby from Canada) I do NOT consider myself a Las Vegas wedding expert. However, I tend to get many questions from readers seeking advice, and try my best to answer or at least point them in the right direction to get the answers they need. At the very least, I give my opinion or things I’ve heard from couple who have submitted their weddings to the site.

While I can no longer keep up with the volume of questions I get by providing personalized answers, I will be choosing some to run some of these question and my answers in a series called LVW Monday Mailbag!

We kick off today with a question that plagues many couples marrying in Vegas: locked in catering and venue photography rules!

Hi Kelly,

Your site seems to be filled with the best information on Las Vegas weddings, so I thought I’d come to you for advice! Our wedding will be a destination wedding for all our guests and we are thinking Vegas will be the best spot, as it is middle ground for everyone.

I am struggling to find a venue I actually like. I am turned off by the typical “Vegas hotel wedding.” It is important to hire our own photographer and would much rather have our own caterers rather than a venue’s set/generic menu.

We’d love for our wedding to be outside near greenery, something a bit rustic. Or I’d also love a loft, or intimate warehouse feel with brick and lights! Any suggestions?! We’ll have about 70 guests, and a venue near Summerlin and Red Rock hotel or another great hotel would be great to make it easier for our guests to get around.

Thank you, K

Dear K,

Ah, the great venue search. You actually have some pretty specific requests, so the first thing I would do would be to narrow down the search to places that allow outside caterers. That limits things quite a bit and will help stop you from going crazy.

Some choices that would be top of my list would be:

Springs Preserve
Although they require the use of an exclusive caterer at this time, from what I’ve seen they offer a lot of flexibility in terms of menu. Also, the array of venue options at the Springs may fit what you need, including a combination loft-like/garden space. Keep in mind while they do not restrict photographers, they do require you to have an event planner.

Historic Fifth Street School
This venue meets many of your requirements, in that they allow you to choose your own caterer and photographer, but it is very much a self-service venue and you may wish to hire a wedding planner as well. But the space is rustic, outdoors and near all some great downtown hotels your guests will find convenient. String some bistro lights up over the courtyard and it will have that airy lofty feel. It is not near Red Rock or Summerlin, but sometimes compromise is the word of the day when it comes to wedding planning!

That being said, I do encourage you to explore places with a locked-in caterer. I think you’ll find the quality of the food and beverage available in Las Vegas is modern, gourmet and very flexible compared to what you may be used to at home, especially at some of the higher-end country clubs like Red Rock Country Club or Canyon Gate Country Club, both of which would meet your green setting and city location requests.

Good luck!
Kelly

Have a Vegas wedding planning question? Feel free to send it to me at kelly AT littlevegaswedding DOT com with the subject line: “LVW Mailbag” or leave a comment on one of the posts. I may answer it in a future mailbag feature. Questions may be edited for length and privacy.

If you want more immediate help, I encourage you to join the LVW Wedding Planning Facebook group. This private group is full of people planning their weddings just like you as well as some vendors. Both are great for knowledge and advice and are probably much more in the know than me!